Small business insights
Small businesses1 define our identity as a place, a region and a destination. Small businesses create local jobs and provide essential goods and services, both to the community and to larger organisations. They drive regional economic development and make up the backbone of the supply chains of major projects.
1The Small Business Commissioner considers a small business to be any business that a reasonable person would consider to be small regardless of structure, turnover or number of employees (generally equivalent to <20 FTEs). The Queensland Small Business Commissioner provides services for small businesses that are based in Queensland. This is the Small Business Commissioner’s operational policy in relation to the definition of a small business.
Queensland small business data
Data1 current as of 30 June 2023
482,836
small businesses in Queensland
97.1%
of all businesses in the state are small businesses
62.1%
of small businesses are non-employing
The 482,836 small businesses in Queensland account for 19.2% of all Australian small businesses, compared to 20.46% of Australia’s population that live in the state2.
Of those:
-
62.1% of small businesses are non-employing
-
28.04% have 1-4 employees
-
9.86% have 5-19 employees
Queensland's top 10 small business industries
- Construction (17.4%)
- Professional, scientific and technical services (12.5%)
- Rental, hiring and real estate services (11.9%)
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing (8.6%)
- Health care and social assistance (7.5%)
- Transport, postal and warehousing (7.4%)
- Retail trade (5.8%)
- Other services (5.6%)
- Administrative and support services (4.5%)
- Financial and insurance services (4.2%)
1 Unless otherwise stated, all numbers are from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2023), Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits.
2 Calculated using Australian Bureau of Statistics (2022), Regional Population, accessed 22 January 2024.
Reports
Blog
Queensland’s small businesses, as diverse as our landscapes and people, tackle challenges with resilience and determination. Explore their stories, successes, and lessons.
Lola Digital: The Heart of Kantesha Takai
Cultural exchange is a win for tourists and locals
Recognition for young small business owners
Customer testimonials
LEASING DISPUTE SUPPORT
“QSBC have been helping me navigate a very emotional stressful upheaval in my life…
I just wanted to say thank you to you and your staff at QSBC. I have been treated with kindness, support and empathy.
They are truly the right people for their jobs. Thank you.”
Café owner with a leasing dispute
PROVIDING INFORMATION ON AVAILABLE SUPPORT
“You are amazing at what you do, thank you ever so much! Regardless of the outcome the fact that you are helping me is overwhelming and muchly appreciated.”
Leisure activity small business owner experiencing financial hardship
FEEDBACK FROM MEDIATOR
“Congratulations on having your appointment being made permanent so you can keep up the great work, it’s the best Christmas present the people of Queensland could have hoped for!
Even if they don’t know it yet and the work you and your office does has a direct and positive impact on a huge number of people and that impact naturally flows on to others around them. From the call centre operators up, everyone has been unfailingly helpful, professional, and pleasant to deal with; and the net result is that your office is a pleasure to deal with, and amazingly efficient.”
Mediator
